World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2024: Seo Minkyu flies past Francois Pitot, Adam Hagara to top men's short program
A day after Shin Jia topped the women's skate, another Korean stole the show with a personal best to open his competition in Taipei City.
Figure Skating
Seo Minkyu was the best of the best.
On a night when the top six in the men’s short program all produced personal bests, the 15-year-old from the Republic of Korea took the lead at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2024 with an impressive 80.58 on Thursday (29 February).
In Taipei City, France’s Francois Pitot trailed in second with 78.79, Adam Hagara of Slovakia was third on 78.02. Nakata Rio, the Junior Grand Prix Final champion from Japan, placed fifth (77.60).
Hagara won silver at the Winter Youth Olympic Games last month in Gangwon, Republic of Korea, where Nakata ended up fifth after a disastrous short program.
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Korea on top again in age-group event
The YOG men's singles gold medallist, Kim Hyungyeom, is missing this event and instead competing at the senior world championships in Montreal next month.
His compatriot Seo did not even appear in Gangwon, but on Thursday stole the thunder from the likes of Nakata and Hagara who were the favourites going into these championships.
Seo opened his skate with a triple Axel followed by a triple lutz. He sealed his small gold with a triple flip-triple toe combo to take pole position into Saturday’s deciding free skate.
His Korean teammate Shin Jia leads the women's event after their short program on Wednesday.
The pairs event concluded on Thursday with Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava of Georgia claiming the title on 179.32 points. It is the second world junior title for Berulava, who also won in 2022 with ex-partner Karina Safina.
The USA completed the podium with Olivia Flores and Luke Wang taking silver on 166.89 and Naomi Williams / Lachlan Lewer in third on 146.00.